MEASUREMENTS OF POLARIZED-NEUTRON POLARIZED-PROTON SCATTERING - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE TRITON BINDING-ENERGY

Measurements have been made of DELTAsigma(T) for polarized neutrons in cident on a polarized proton target from 3.65 to 11.60 MeV. In the ene rgy range near 10 MeV, DELTAsigma(T) is very sensitive to the nucleon- nucleon tensor interaction. Comparison of the data to potential-model predictions indicate that the tensor interaction is weak, resulting in values of the S-3(1)-3D1 mixing parameter epsilon1 which are smaller than predicted by any nucleon-nucleon potential model. A smaller tenso r force will bring the predictions of local potential models for the t riton binding energy into closer agreement with the experimental value .